I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together.
The underspend in the allocation under the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals 2007 to 2013 (but with the eligibility period ending on 30 June 2015) was mainly due to an insufficiency of suitable projects with the required level of matching funding.
This Fund, together with the European Refugee Fund and the European Return Fund, was replaced by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2014 to 2020 (but with the eligibility period ending on 31 December 2022). The AMIF has four specific objectives relating to asylum (including resettlement), integration, return, and solidarity (relocation). Of the €19.519 million allocated to Ireland, €5.455 million is earmarked in our National Programme for integration. There is provision for switching allocations between specific objectives depending on where a greater need might arise and, therefore, I am confident that our national allocation will be spent by end 2022.
I launched the first call for applications under the Fund on 22 September last with a closing date of 10 November. This call focused on the asylum and integration areas and aimed to make €4.5 million available over the period 2017 to 2020. I understand that the decision on applications (in which neither the Tánaiste nor I have a personal input) is imminent and that the funds available will be substantially allocated. It is not possible at this stage to say how much will be allocated for each specific objective and, indeed, many applications addressed both asylum and integration.